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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25485601">kitchen rendezvous</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArmedLibrarian/pseuds/TheArmedLibrarian'>TheArmedLibrarian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gintama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Banter, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Music, M/M, just ginhiji tingz lmao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:27:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25485601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArmedLibrarian/pseuds/TheArmedLibrarian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gintoki wakes up at 3 am to a loud noise from the kitchen and decides to investigate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>kitchen rendezvous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>No one:</p><p>Absolutely no one:</p><p>Me staring at a plot bunny hopping around my brain as I tackled my assignments: Hello.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To be completely honest, Gintoki wasn't sure what he'd find in the kitchen if he decides to take a peek. All he knows was that a noise that sounded suspiciously like a human body dropping onto the floor after it's been stabbed multiple times woke him up at exactly 3 in the morning. It was quiet after that, but the fucking noise not only made his blood pressure rise and his heartbeat literally squeezing itself from fear, he had also realized that Toshirou- his husband of many years- was missing from the futon they shared when they slept. That turned his bearings on, because a. he didn't want a dead husband bleeding on the kitchen floor he just scrubbed clean after one too many naggings, and b. they were supposed to check out an amusement park in the afternoon, and no way was he going to be alone pissing himself with his friends for company. By the time the disorienting feeling of having been woken up from a deep sleep started to wear off, he started tiptoeing down the dark hallway, his faithful <em>bokken, </em>Lake Touya, clenched tightly in his hands. Gintoki never really mastered how to sword fight, but he does know that swinging it in a burglar (or in this case, a hypothetical murderer on the loose in his kitchen), could bring instant death. It's only a matter of who realizes which of them gets fucked up first with the stick.</p><p>He reaches the end of the hallway, crouched just beyond the threshold leading to the kitchen. He couldn't see the murderer yet, but the lights were on and it only confirmed his suspicions that somebody was in the house and was probably in the same room where Toshirou was. Gintoki leaned back against the wall, taking a few deep breaths. <em>It's alright. Gin-san has watched all of the Gintaman movies and mastered Kintoki's sword fighting skills at heart. Just give the murderer a good ole bashing, call the police and then 911, get Toshirou to a hospital, and kiss the everloving shit out of him then smack his head for getting harmed. </em>There.</p><p>With one last prayer to whatever supreme being was listening to him, Gintoki did a battle cry and ran towards the kitchen, sword raised, his whole body charged with adrenaline. His blood was on fire, ready to hit the first person he could see. There the perpetrator was, just within his reach and back faced towards him. Gintoki was about to bring down divine punishment when the figure turned and he was met with blue eyes and one very pissed off Hijikata Toshirou.</p><p>He paused. Brought the sword down.</p><p>Then, "What."</p><p>"... the hell are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack." His husband grumbled, now fully standing. What a cutie, still wearing one of Gintoki's old billowy shirts that smelled like detergent and lavender. His face wasn't looking cute at the moment though, because Toshirou was frowning at him with distaste. "Why were you screaming? You could have woken Mayora up and she'd have started barking right now."</p><p>"She's sleeping in the sofa, so she might've not heard me," Gintoki muttered weakly. </p><p>There was silence for a minute, as both males try to comprehend why they were both standing like idiots in their dimly lit kitchen at 3 in the morning. Gintoki uses this chance to scream into the void over how miscalculated his move was and for his overthinking brain that short circuits when he didn't get his sleep.</p><p>Toshirou crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at his wooden sword. "You still didn't answer my question," he said. "Why were you screaming? And what the hell's up with that sword?"</p><p>"Oh," Gintoki brought Lake Touya at eye-level, pretending to inspect it while hiding the fact that he was super embarrassed right now. He placed it in the kitchen counter afterwards. "W-well, you see.... I heard something really loud earlier, and I thought it was a house intruder."</p><p>"That was just me," Toshirou rubbed at his neck sheepishly. At least they were both looking embarrassed, although his husband was also quite amused. "I actually.... I was sleepwalking. And I didn't realize I reached the kitchen till I slipped on a burger wrapper from last night's dinner."</p><p>Gintoki gaped at him. "Sleepwalking again? This is the third time this happened!" And oh lord, how terrible it was. The first time it occurred, a crying Gintoki had to call for both Kondo and Sougo's help to bring his naked husband down from the roof, who apparently dreamt he was a lizard. </p><p>"Well, I'm sorry I can't control it. Tamegorou has it worse. He once tried to force himself into the fridge and started smearing his face with mayonnaise." Toshirou shuddered, too disgusted at the resurfacing memory. "Anyway, it's normal. No harm done. You can go back to sleep now."</p><p>"No harm done?" Gintoki repeated, eyeing him incredulously. "You made me wake up at at such a godforsaken hour and now I can't sleep! I'm so pumped with adrenaline right now, not even coffee can top it off!"</p><p>Toshirou shrugged. "I'm wide awake too, you know. What the hell should we even be doing at this hour?"</p><p>"Oi, fix me a glass of milk. It's compensation for what you did to me."</p><p>"As if," Toshirou snorted, though he was already rummaging through the cupboard for their kitty pair mugs. Gintoki smiled endearingly at him and leaned down for a quick kiss, before picking up the milk jar and some spoons so both of them could make their respective beverages together.</p><p>"Boil some water first, dummy."</p><p>"That's what I'm doing, dummy." Gintoki stuck his tongue out. He fills the water for the electric kettle and laughs when Toshirou bumps him playfully on the hip before settling down on one of the kitchen stools as he waited for the thing to boil.</p><p>"Let's hurry this up so we can go to bed. I like sleeping in late on a weekend."</p><p>"Ain't that right," Gintoki nodded in agreement, sitting down across from Toshirou. "Is your ass okay? That was a pretty loud fall you know."</p><p>"Nah, s'fine. I mean you ram my ass on a weekly basis so it-"</p><p>"OOOOOKAY STOP!" Gintoki lunged forward and clamped a hand on Toshirou's mouth. He could feel his husband's wide grin from the surface of his palm. Goddamit, now he's red in the face again for how blunt Toshirou could be with his words. "TOO MUCH INFORMATION!"</p><p>"Uh-huh, right." Came the sarcastic, muffled reply. He withdrew his hand back and glared.</p><p>With the water boiled just a little later, they sit in comfortable silence, broken intermittently with occasional sips of milk, the kitchen clock ticking, and the yawning. Sometimes someone's foot grazed the other's and they'd do a little footsie game, only for Toshirou to start pinching him and he'd kick in retaliation. Gintoki was halfway through his milk when he decided that it was too quiet and decided to spice things up a little.</p><p>"Aren't we supposed to go to bed?" Toshirou asked.</p><p>"Yeah, but I can't stand the silence all that much," Gintoki whined. "Do you mind if I play music?"</p><p> "The radio," Toshirou pointed to the old machine sitting on one of the low wooden cabinets they have. "And not one of those pop songs again. It's too early."</p><p>"Right-o. So, something old timey?" Gintoki sauntered over to the ancient radio and started pushing some buttons. Static filled the air for a few seconds, and it wasn't until Gintoki had readjusted the antenna and the dials did they hear some voices and finally, music.</p><p>"Oh, I like this song," Gintoki says, a smile slowly creeping up his lips, as an electric guitar starts to play and two women were singing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Hey, hey, hey lover,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You don't have to be a star.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Hey, hey, hey lover,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I love you just the way you are... </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>"For love is just the same without fortune or fame. Just give me, true love and understanding~" </em>Toshirou cupped a hand in his cheek, a dreamy look crossed his face as he lazily sings along, voice low and lovely to Gintoki's ears. He eyed the permhead knowingly, as if the last lines were meant specifically for him.  </p><p><em>You're so bad for my heart, geez. </em>"You know this song?" Gintoki asked.</p><p>"Mm-hmm, Tamegorou and his wife love playing this on Sundays at their old house," he said. He picks up his spoon and swirls it around his mug, expression fond. "They're both such big saps and I always watched them and I wondered, 'hmm. Maybe falling in love isn't so bad, you know?' I mean, it's funny. I could have chosen loneliness at the darkest point in my life and <em>we </em>wouldn't have happened." At this, he raised his eyes to Gintoki. His chest constricted at the sight. He looked so vulnerable for a second, his blue eyes darker in the low lighting. Gintoki will never cease to find this man beautiful, both inside and out. "But you- you're so.... I couldn't even explain <em>how</em> but I just stared at you one time and I realized I would have never become complete if you weren't by my side." </p><p>Then, to prove that he was going to be the cause of Gintoki's heart attack, Toshirou stood up, rounded the table, and started swaying to the music while walking towards him, grabbing at Gintoki's hand before pulling the permhead so their faces were inches apart.</p><p>"Ah, but I really, really like this song," he murmured, his breath fanning across Gintoki's face. He knocked their foreheads together.</p><p>Gintoki smirked, slowly placing both of his arms across Toshirou's shoulders. "Wanna dance to it?" </p><p>"Don't blame me if I step on your toe, though."</p><p>"That's alright. Gin-san will step on your toe as revenge."</p><p>"The hell's up with that?" Toshirou snorted, although there was no malice in his eyes. "So petty, this is why I'm the only one who loves you."</p><p>Gintoki pouted, reaching over to pinch the latter's cheek. As they slowly sway to the last few notes of the music, another song starts, this time more languid, a woman's voice humming sweetly before kicking up with drums and a distorted version of a tune from an electric guitar. They stay in their little bubble for a little while, just them in their half-awake states, the warmth exuding from each other, and some unspoken promises that need not be said out loud. </p><p>He was pretty sure this was what love must sound like. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I'm in the mood for love, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Simply because you're near me, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Funny, but when you're near me,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm in the mood for love.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Inspired by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HCDnD2rEpM">Hey Lover by Daughters of Eve</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPRUHX9mEHo">when you're near by elijah who</a> because im a slut for husbands just having a good time and vibing to music :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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